'I feel old and have aging stereotypes'. Internalized aging stereotypes and older adults' mental health: the mediational role of loneliness.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to analyze the role of aging stereotype activation (when older adults with aging stereotypes begin to consider themselves as older persons) in the relationship between ageist stereotypes, depressive, anxiety, loneliness, and comorbid anxiety-depressive symptoms. METHODS: Participants were 182 autonomous community-dwelling people between 60 and 88 (mean age = 72.30; SD = 5.53). Three path models were tested exploring the role of considering oneself as an older person as a moderator variable. Ageist stereotypes were included as the independent variable, loneliness as the mediating variable, and anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and comorbid anxiety-depressive symptoms as dependent variables for each model. RESULTS: The results suggest an influence of ageist stereotypes on anxiety, depressive, and comorbid anxiety-depressive symptoms only in older adults who consider themselves as older persons, and mediated by loneliness. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, when someone considers him or herself as an older person, ageist stereotypes activate loneliness feelings, and this activation is associated with psychological distress, including anxiety, depressive, and comorbid anxiety-depressive symptoms.